Web Portal Changes: The Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) hosted at https://water.weather.gov will be replaced by the National Water Prediction Service (NWPS), with a target of March 2024. Existing AHPS content and features will be preserved and expanded within NWPS.

Experimental National Water Center Products: The National Hydrologic Discussion, Area Hydrologic Discussion, and Flood Hazard Outlook, and real-time geospatial services depicting River Forecast Center and National Water Model forecasts, continue to be accessible via https://www.weather.gov/owp/operations, as described in the StoryMap here.

Weather Forecast Office Lake Charles, LA

Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center

Hydrograph

River at a Glance

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Probability Information Weekly Chance of Exceeding Levels Chance of Exceeding Levels During Entire Period Short-term Probabilistic Guidance (Experimental)

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Printable Image About this graph Tabular Data (UTC) Tabular Data (CDT) Datum: NGVD29 Metadata

NOTE: River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 48 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time. NOTE: Forecasts for the Atchafalaya River at Morgan City are issued routinely year-round.

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Flood Categories (in feet) Major Flood Stage: 12 Moderate Flood Stage: 7 Flood Stage: 6 Action Stage: 4 Low Stage (in feet): 0 Historic Crests (1) 10.53 ft on 05/28/1973 (2) 10.35 ft on 05/29/2011 (3) 10.06 ft on 07/13/2019 (4) 8.46 ft on 06/27/1957 (5) 8.29 ft on 03/15/2019 Show More Historic Crests (P): Preliminary values subject to further review. Recent Crests (1) 7.93 ft on 04/13/2020 (P) (2) 10.06 ft on 07/13/2019 (3) 8.29 ft on 03/15/2019 (4) 7.12 ft on 03/30/2018 (5) 7.18 ft on 06/03/2017 Show More Recent Crests (P): Preliminary values subject to further review. Low Water Records (1) -5.40 ft on 08/25/1926 (2) -2.70 ft on 12/21/1924 (3) -2.32 ft on 10/18/1948 Show More Low Water Records

Zoom Level:16 Legend FEMA Layer Gauge Location Disclaimer Latitude/Longitude Disclaimer: The gauge location shown in the above map is the approximate location based on the latitude/longitude coordinates provided to the NWS by the gauge owner.

Flood Impacts & Photos

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20	There is a catastrophic flood threat. Evacuation of the cities of Berwick and Morgan City is strongly recommended. Flood walls protect the cities to an elevation of 21 feet.
12	There is a major flood threat. Back water flooding of Bayou Bouef will cause damage east of Morgan City to the community of Amelia. Structures on the river side of protection walls in Morgan City and Berwick will be under water. River traffic restrictions will be strictly enforced.
9	Structures on the river side of protection walls in Morgan City and Berwick will be under water. River traffic restrictions will be strictly enforced.
7	Buildings at the foot of Ann Street on the river side of the flood wall will flood as water overtops the Rio Oil Company dock. Buildings on the river side of the Berwick floodwall will flood. River traffic restrictions will be strictly enforced. In addition, backwater flooding could potentially impact portions areas around Lake Palourde and Stephensville.
6	Flood stage. The city dock will be under water. Water will cover the lower end of Belleview Front Street in Berwick. Vessel traffic will be affected by stronger river current and vessel traffic safety rules will be strictly enforced by the U.S. Coast Guard.
5	Floodwall gates will be closed to protect against higher stages. Vessel traffic will be affected by stronger river current and vessel traffic safety rules will be strictly enforced by the U.S. Coast Guard.
4	Action stage. Water will move up the bank and across access roads below the city dock. Floodwall gates should be closed by the 5 foot stage to protect against higher stages. Vessel traffic will be affected by stronger river current and vessel traffic safety rules will be strictly enforced by the U.S. Coast Guard.

About This Location

Latitude: 29.696389° N, Longitude: 91.210833° W, Horizontal Datum: NAD83/WGS84 River Stage Reference Frame Gauge Height Flood Stage Uses NWS stage 0 ft 6 ft Interpreting hydrographs and NWS watch, warnings, and forecasts, and inundation maps Vertical Datum Elevation (gauge height = 0) Elevation (gauge height = flood stage) Elevation information source NAVD88 -1.12 ft 4.88 ft Survey grade GPS equipment, FEMA flood plain maps, newer USGS topographic maps NGVD 29 0 ft 6 ft Older USGS topographic maps, NGVD29 benchmarks MSL Not Available Not Available Older USGS topographic maps, MSL benchmarks Other Not Available Not Available   Current/Historical Observations: Corps of Engineers (COE) Info for Morgan City U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Data and Site Info for Morgan City

Resources

Hydrologic Resources Text Products Past Precipitation Forecast Precipitation River Forecast Centers River Stage Summary Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center West Gulf River Forecast Center USGS Water Science USACE Hydrologic Information Jefferson County Drainage District 6 Daily Hydrologic Summary Agriculture Weather Report Daily Precipitation Reports COCORAHS Reports Interactive Map of Rainfall Reports Inundation Mapping Locations

Additional Resources Area Hydrographs NWS Precipitation and River Forecasting AHPS Iframes for Developers Mobile iNWS for emergency management Sabine River Authority of Texas Sabine River Authority of Louisiana Calcasieu Parish Police Jury Alert System Red River Water Way Commision Bayou Vermilion District NOAA National Ocean Service CO-OPS

Collaborative Agencies The National Weather Service prepares its forecasts and other services in collaboration with agencies like the US Geological Survey, US Bureau of Reclamation, US Army Corps of Engineers, Natural Resource Conservation Service, National Park Service, ALERT Users Group, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and many state and local emergency managers across the country. For details, please click here. NWS Information National Weather Service Lake Charles Weather Forecast Office 500 Airport Boulevard Lake Charles, LA 70607 (337) 477-5285 Ask Questions/Webmaster Page last modified: 2-Nov-2020 7:29 PM Disclaimer Credits Glossary Privacy Policy About Us Career Opportunities